Jenson Button /David Coulthard rallycross

[leonidas]

For anyone who wasn't watching the Russian Grand Prix... a quick BBC featurette at Lydden Hill. I think they enjoyed themselves...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rCDVEDJGAo

Looks like we might see Jenson in a rallycross car again!

[Hampton Caught]

This was filmed at Lydden in the week leading up to the British Rallycross Championship round there on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Credit must go to Shirley Gibson in setting up the event and to James Harrold for allowing Jenson to have a go in his beautiful Beetle. It's clear how much both Jenson and David enjoyed the experience in both the Beetle and later in the MINI and DS3 respectively.

Certainly helped put our sport in a very positive light. The change in Jenson's voice when he was bringing the Beetle back to the start line after his flying laps was superb. He was sooooo excited by the whole experience.

Here's hoping this translates into seeing Jenson on a rallycross grid in the near(ish) future!

Cheers, Steve

[RXFan99]

Hi Steve,

It wasn't actually Shirley that "set it up". It was World Rallycross promoter, IMG plus BBC F1 and its desire to do a story about Jenson's heritage in the sport. Shirley helped with the Retro Rallycross car but by no means "set up the event!"

Anyway, great coverage for the sport that's for sure and Jenson certainly seemed to enjoy it.

Cheers
RX Fan

Originally Posted by Hampton Caught

This was filmed at Lydden in the week leading up to the British Rallycross Championship round there on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Credit must go to Shirley Gibson in setting up the event and to James Harrold for allowing Jenson to have a go in his beautiful Beetle. It's clear how much both Jenson and David enjoyed the experience in both the Beetle and later in the MINI and DS3 respectively.

Certainly helped put our sport in a very positive light. The change in Jenson's voice when he was bringing the Beetle back to the start line after his flying laps was superb. He was sooooo excited by the whole experience.

Here's hoping this translates into seeing Jenson on a rallycross grid in the near(ish) future!

Cheers, Steve

[mab01UK]

Jenson Button retraced his father’s footsteps when he got behind the wheel of a JRM Racing-prepared MINI RX at Lydden Hill recently and the event was featured in the BBC coverage of last weekends Russian Grand Prix (available to watch on BBC Catch Up tv about 20 minutes in).

John Button, who died in January last year, was runner-up in the British Rallycross Championship in 1976 driving a Volkswagen Beetle.

“I grew up with rallycross,” said his son after driving a similar car at Lydden on Wednesday, “it was where it all started for me when I was four or five-years-old.”

“I used to watch my dad racing back in the mid-eighties and I loved hearing the car – it was so loud! I wouldn’t be F1 world champion if it hadn’t been for my dad and the grassroots of rallycross – that was where I caught the motor sport bug.”

Button and former F1 driver David Coulthard drove a selection of rallycross machinery as part of an upcoming feature for the BBC. The pair also sampled current machinery including a 500bhp Mini and a 600bhp Citroen DS3.

“It was a mega experience today and completely different to what I’m used to,” said Button. “Both cars were great fun to drive – they’re a lot more powerful than when my dad raced, but the same principles apply and you need real skill to master them.”

“For Jenson, I think this was a little walk down memory lane,” Coulthard reflected, “it was John Button giving up his own racing career to focus on Jenson’s that allowed him to fulfil his dreams.”

“For me, it was a fascinating, adrenaline-fuelled day. I’ve always enjoyed trying out different sports to appreciate how skilled their competitors are.”
https://www.formula1.com/content/fom...ss-outing.html



The MINI RX has already proven itself to be a formidable rallycross package during its short competitive life. It won a heat race at its first event at the Nurburgring in Germany and then qualified for the final at the World RX of Great Britain in May. - See more at: MINI RX :: Group News

[Aysedasi]

Well, whoever set it up, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 👍

[rx-guru]

Seen that Jenson Button's DOB is January 19 1980 I find it pretty strange that he claims to remember his dad doing Rallycross with a VW Beetle. When I met John Button for the first time, during the British 1978 ERX round at Lydden Hill, he already used to drive a black VW Golf Mk1 1.9. And as far as I know that was also his last car before he quit...

[BertMk2]

Well details aside they both looked like they had great fun